1898.] M. A. Stein — New inscriptions discovered by Major Beane. 13 
rnents. All the more gratified we must feel at the recent discovery of 
a document which has thrown unexpected light on an obscure period of 
the history of Gandhara and the neighbouring regions, and which also 
seems to show us the direction where the means for the future solution 
of the riddle may have to be sought for. 
I refer to the Itinerary of the Chinese pilgrim Ou-K'ong , of which 
Professors Llsvi and Chavannes have published a translation, accom¬ 
panied by very valuable notes, in the Journal asiatique, for September- 
October, 1895. From Ou-K'ong’s account we learn that the territories 
of ITdyana and Gandhara from which our inscriptions come, were 
during the pilgrim’s sojourn there, a.d. 753-759, 763-764, united under 
the rule of a dynasty which claimed descent from Kaniska and was 
zealously attached to the Buddhist faith. Messrs. Llsvi and Chavannes 
rightly recognize in these rulers Alberunl’s ‘ Shahiyas of Kabul,’ ‘ Turks 
who were said to be of Tibetan origin.’ 5 6 From the names given to 
members of this royal family both in Ou-K'ong’s Itinerary and the 
T'ang Annals the Editors conclude with great probability, that these 
princes belonged actually to a dynasty of Turkish nationality and 
language. 6 
The interesting historical fact thus established fully justifies the 
Editors in attaching importance to the curious similarity which 
M. Senart and Prof. Buhler had already noticed between certain 
characters in Major Deane’s inscriptions and the alphabet of the Tur¬ 
kish inscriptions from the banks of the Orkhon deciphered by Prof. 
V. Thomsen in 1893. 7 This resemblance deserves .all the more atten¬ 
tion in view of the fact that the date of these Turkish insciiptions (first 
5 See Alberuni’s India, translated by Prof. Sachnu, ii., pp. 10 sqq. Compare 
regarding this dynasty my paper Zur Geschichte der Qdhis von Kabul in 4 Festgruss 
an Rudolf von Roth,’ 1893, pp. 195 sqq. 
6 See Journal asiatique, 1895, vi., p. 378 sq. 
It must be noted that the titles t'e-le and t'e-k'in-li which are most characteris¬ 
tically Turkish, are given in Ou-K'ong’s narrative not as those of princes belonging 
to the ruling family of K'ien-t'o-lo (Gandhara), but as designations of ‘sons of the 
king of the Tou-kiue or Turks; ’ see l. c., pp. 354, 357. Though mentioned as 
founders of Viharas, both in Katpnir and Gandhara, these princes need not have 
actually resided in either of these countries. Sufficient evidence, however, remains 
for the above assumption in pie name of Ou-san Te-le-li, mentioned as king of 
Ki-pin in the Chinese Annals, a.d. 739; in the word houli which is found in the 
names of several Viharas visited by Ou-K'ong in Gandhara, and which seems to be 
a Turkish term, and finally in the name of the ambassador Sa-po-ta-kan whom the 
ruler of Gandhara sent to the Chinese court in Ou-K'ong’s time. 
1 According to Prof. Buhler’ s observation, 4 On the origin of the Brdhini 
Alphabet,’ 1895, p. 89, the alphabets of the Orkhon and Yenissei inscriptions show 
more thau a dozen of the signs found in Major Beane’s inscriptions. 
